As The Green Club, we aspire to impact our community, nation, and world, by educating, inspiring, and involving people. Our aim is to help people become more efficient and to help bring balance to their inner and outer environments in order to help them into a greener future.
INTRODUCING THE GREEN CLUB 
A group of Greensburg High School students came together to officially form THE GREEN CLUB. Working in concert with Greensburg GreenTown, the group began meeting in the fall of 2007, and in early 2008 we helped them establish a vision statement and formulate their initial goals. They have an ambitious agenda, accompanied by boundless enthusiasm and creative energy.
The Club has a vision of educating and inspiring people of all ages to learn about what "green" means. They intend for their message about conserving resources and living a green lifestyle to have a ripple effect, both within their community and out in the world.
The Club appointed Alexsis Fleener as Secretary, Nathan James Guyette as Treasurer, and decided to operate for now as a committee rather than having a chairperson. Also involved in the first week of meetings were Taylor Schmidt, Levi Smith, Tim Morton, Eric White and Megan Gardiner.
GreenTown staff members Catherine Hart and John Wickland serve as the Club's Advisors. In addition to having a page here on the GreenTown website, the group will post information on the school's daily web page. The Club is in the process of launching their own website. Watch this space for updates.
The group got started with their first green activity in January 2008 when they picked up residents' Christmas trees for recycling. Over fifty trees were saved from going to the dump, and will be turned into nourishing mulch for Greensburg's trees and plants. Alexsis Fleener remarked, "Why buy mulch in a bag when you can pick it up on Colfax Street for free!"
The students were delighted by people's support and enthusiasm for this recycling program. When asked why it was important for residents to participant in this Christmas tree program, Levi Smith summed it up quite succinctly: "It just makes sense . . . the only other thing that would have happened to the trees would have been them ending up in the trash."
PRIORITIES
The February 1, 2008 meeting is when students gathered to get organized more formally. In attendance were Levi Smith, Taylor Schmidt, Nathan James Guyette, Alexsis Fleener, Tim Morton and Jayvid Guyette. From GreenTown, Alanna Goodman, and Daniel Wallach & Catherine Hart were on hand to facilitate the honing of the vision statement and help the group set its short-term goals. Club members decided that their most important priorities for the rest of the semester are:
* Lightbulb exchange program, in which residents bring in their old, traditional bulbs and trade them in for compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs). The Club has a goal of selling 1,000 CFLs, and recycling the old bulbs in a creative project to be unveiled at a later date.
* Recycling is a very important value for the students. They have placed bins throughout the school, thanks to the generosity of the Sunflower RC&D (Resource Conservation and Development), and are busy educating school officials and local businesses about recycling, and making it easier for everyone in the community to participate.
* Education and information sharing, especially through the Club's website, is paramount.
GREENSBURG CUBED PROJECT
The Green Club assisted in KSU's Greensburg Cubed Project this spring. Fifth-year students from the College of Architecture designed and built 4 modular cubes (10'x10'x10') , each of which serves both a practical and educational function in Greensburg. The Club has a special interest in the "Recycling Bin" cube, and met with student representatives and their professor last year to find out how they could be involved. Students (along with then-Green Club Advisor Alanna Goodman) travelled to Manhattan this spring to check out the project and lend a hand to the construction. For more info on this innovative project , stop by the GreenTown office to take a tour, or read about it here.
PASSING OF THE TORCH
GreenTown and the Green Club said goodbye to Alanna Goodman in November, when she moved out of state. Alanna served as Advisor since the Club's inception, and was responsible for coordinating their projects, field trips, and local community activities. Great job, Alanna! Stepping into the role of Advisors are GreenTown's John Wickland and Catherine Hart.
NEW WEBSITE IN THE WORKS
Thanks to the generosity of Nathan Westphal, a California-based programming wizard, The Green Club will soon launch its own website. Nathan has been hard at work designing the site with the students, and is also contributing the costs associated with its hosting. Thanks, Nathan!
NEXT MEETING
The Club will meet next on Monday, June 1 to plan summer activities.
The Green Club at Green Day March 29: Shannon, Alexsis, Tim, Levi (with trombone),
Taylor, Alanna (former Club Advisor), Jayvid, & Kendall
